The client is a psychologist who treats children, adults and families
in a therapeutic setting in Manhattan. The client is exposed to a large
amount of emotional upset on a daily basis and the need for retreat into
a calming countryside is essential to her well being. Her main concern
is to build a house which is strong, firm and anchored to the landscape.
The doctor’s mandate is to have a house that is a haven from the
chaotic, reeling and emotionally exhausting work of her week.
The design establishes a stone terrace in the landscape as a plinth upon
which the house is constructed. The plinth roots the house firmly into
the site and establishes a datum upon which the spaces of living are constructed.
The clarity of form set into the design interprets the doctor’s
desire for serenity and calm. The house is organized around an axis of
north-south movement into which all the public rooms are placed. These
public rooms are essential to the family life style as established by
the client. The design of the house balances the clearly defined program
of the client, a strong environmental response, and the creation of strong
clear form. Beauty is a driving desire of the client and the design embodies
that dream in the materials, forms and detailing of the building.
